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Fronts share honours in Malappuram

Staff Reporter

IUML rebel to decide the fate of Tirur

MALAPPURAM: Among the five municipalities in Malappuram district, the United Democratic Front (UDF) made a clean sweep in Manjeri and Malappuram and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) registered thumping victories in Ponnani and Perinthalmanna. In Tirur, both fronts shared 17 seats each. The triumph of an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) rebel has become decisive in Tirur.

The BJP retained its lone seat in Ponnani and IUML rebels won a seat each in Perinthalmanna and Tirur municipalities.

The UDF suffered a setback in Tirur municipality where the Front had been in power holding 20 out of 31 seats. Though the number of wards increased to 35, the UDF has to content with 17 seats now in spite of having fielded the best possible candidates. The defeats of UDF leaders I.P. Ahmedkutty and Kokkodi Moideenkutty were noteworthy in Tirur.

IUML's seniormost leader Ahmedkutty was trounced by party rebel Kandath Kunhippa in Ward 9. Mr. Kunhippa, whose stand is crucial in the new council, has refused to support the LDF. P.P. Abdullakutty, CPI(M) area committee secretary, said the UDF had no moral claim for power in Tirur. He said the verdict was clearly against the UDF, with 18 of its candidates biting the dust. Meanwhile, the UDF has reportedly gained the support of Mr. Kunhippa.

Perinthalmanna

Though the LDF retained power in Perinthalmanna, the front has not made any gains. It has rather lost a few wards. Earlier the LDF had 21 seats against the UDF's six. In this election, the LDF got only 18, the UDF 12 and a UDF rebel one. All 18 seats of the LDF belonged to the CPI(M). None of the three Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) candidates won in Perinthalmanna.

Ponnnani municipality witnessed CPI(M) dominance with the party bagging 30 out of the 48 wards. The UDF which had been ruling the municipality got only 17 seats. The BJP retained its lone seat there. The IUML was reduced to six seats in Ponnani. The CPI, which has contested independently in three wards and supported the UDF in many other wards, was routed. Though it lost all the two seats it contested, the DIC(K) put up a valiant fight in Ponnani. One of its candidates lost to the UDF by 15 votes.

The CPI(M) reportedly exploited the alleged UDF-BJP nexus in Ponnani. The party had given wide publicity to what it called the "unholy alliance" of the UDF in the Muslim-dominated areas of Ponnani.

Malappuram, Manjeri

The UDF victories in Malappuram and Manjeri municipalities are sparkling. In Manjeri, where the UDF ruled for the past two years with the help of four defectors, the Front staged a comeback cruise winning 30 out of 47 seats. The IUML alone got 25. The Congress bagged five wards.

The LDF won 17 seats. Fifteen of them went to the CPI(M), and one each to the CPI and the INL. Prominent among the losers in Manjeri were INL leader K.P. Ibrahim Haji of the LDF and MLA Ishaq Kurikkal's son Moideen Kurikkal alias Siddu of the UDF.

The chairpersonship of this municipality has been reserved for Scheduled Castes woman. The UDF has projected K.K. Santha as its chairperson candidate.

In Malappuram municipality, the triumph is equally glamorous for the UDF, particularly the IUML. None of the IUML candidate who contested on the party symbol has lost in Malappuram.

The UDF retained Malappuram by winning 26 of the 37 seats. While the IUML got 23 seats, the Congress got three wards. Current Opposition leader Paloli Kunhimohammed from the CPI(M) was a prominent loser in Malappuram.

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